Will your favourite baker make it onto the shortlist of the Scottish Baker of the Year 2013 competition?

By Julie Fourcade in · April 3, 2013 · Comments Off

THANKS solely to the votes of loyal customers, more Scottish bakers than ever are in contention as the competition moves to the professional judging stage and the search hots up for the best baker in the land.

Customers from across Scotland voted for their best bakery products during March and the top products in each of the six categories will be baked and delivered to Dunfermline on 10th April for judging by a panel of independent experts led by artisan Robert Ross and including retired master bakers with extensive experience of the bakery sector in Scotland.

The panel will professionally judge 371 items shortlisted in the six categories: breads, scones, individual cakes, savouries, morning rolls and new category biscuits, to decide on which should be put through as the best in the land.

Each category has been divided into three regions, covering Northern, Central and Southern Scotland. Within each category, the judges will award regional Gold, Silver and Bronze awards and all our shortlisted bakers will be invited to a prestigious ceremony in May where they will find out what colour their regional award will be.

Members of the Press are invited to come along and see for themselves the best of the best at The Carnegie Conference Centre, Dunfermline between 2-3pm on 10th April.

All of the regional winners will also be judged on a national level meaning that they could be recognised as having the best bakery product in Scotland! All of the awards will be presented by artisan baker and TV presenter, Paul Hollywood, who is backing the competition.

The final results will remain a closely guarded secret until 18th May when Paul will announce the results and also crown the Scottish Baker of the Year 2013, a crown currently held by Harry Gow in Inverness.

Head judge, Robert Ross, commented: “The sheer number of 15,000 votes this year has given us a good indication of how strongly the people of Scotland feel about their high street bakers and we cannot wait to taste the quality of the products we have to judge.”

Chief Executive of Scottish Bakers, Alan Clarke, said: “Bakers across Scotland do a great job day in and day out delivering a quality product and their place in this competition shows their customers agree. What is key for me though is that this competition has given me great heart that the people of Scotland really do value their high street bakers and are pleased to have been able to back them by voting.”